debt for previous occupiers

LindseyandMatthew

I don't know if anyone can help me buut I moved into my home last december and have been getting letters from fashion world catalogue for the previous occupiers. I kept sending them back not know at this address but they kept coming. Anyway I got another on today so I decided to open it, and its a debt for quite alot of money that has been passed to debt collectors. I rang fashion world to tell them the previous occuiers have moved and even told them their new address but the bloke on the phone wasn't interested! He told me to go and give them the letter! Yeah right cos they are really gonna ring up to say they have moved, I get letters for loans, car finance etc all debt letters for the same people! I don't know what to do next as ringing fashion world didn't help and I am afraid that bailiffs are going to come to the house, which I don't really want as I have 2 young children in the house

RAS

hi

They cannot send baillif unless there is formal court action. And if they did turn up just show your rental agreement.

LindseyandMatthew

thanks for your reply, I have my rent card and council tax bill together ready but I am a worrier lol, can bailiffs enter the property if I'm not home?

RAS

NO

They are only allowed peaceable entry with your permission. That does means climbing through open windows but does not include being let in by the children.

claire1234

hiya,
id just report it stright to fashion worlds fraud department (they are the only helpful department)

if they dont help ask for there police liason (sp) officers (he was very helpful to me as ive just had a lot of hassel with fashion world)

the bailifs are not allowed entry without your permisson and dont worry about them tho cos its not actually your debt,

i have the fraud department number somewhere, i`ll pm it to you in a bit,

hth.

LindseyandMatthew

thanks claire its weird actually because my sister has has hassle too for the peole who lived in her house before her

mummytummy

we had a similar problem when we moved to our home and received letter from debt collection agency/baliffs for family who lived here before us, i rang the agency and told them they had moved and they were ok, amended their records and we've had no trouble since, i suppose they check on electoral role to confirm

bathgatebuyer

A very common problem! And dangerous too as my neighbours used to get catalogues in the name of the previous tenant but rather than contact them to say, "She doesn't live here anymore" they ordered loads of stuff on her account! Debt collectors still regularly turn up to try and sort out her mess.

bargainbetty

Another option is to put it in writing. Formally state that the former occupiers have moved, give them any forwarding address that you have, and insist that no further correspondence is sent to your address.

Don't sign the letter, just print your name, to be on the safe side. Keep copies of everything you send, just in case.

Good luck x

combo81

You have a lot of good advice here. Personally if it was me I would ignore the letters. When the bailif turns up tell them you no longer wish to discuss it as your phone calls have fallen on deaf ears so its now up to them to prove who you are, not up to you to prove who you arent. I would really have great time messing them about. And there is nothing they can do about it. If they talk there way in and take inventory of stuff then they can be arrested if they came back to take it.

Dont worry, they would have to determine you are the person they are looking for first, and if they cant do that then they are scuppered.